


The Light in Every Shadow

by balancingprecariouslyontheedge



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Older Fic, awful grammar, but its fluff, i ought to edit it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 05:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3368993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/balancingprecariouslyontheedge/pseuds/balancingprecariouslyontheedge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>**previously on tumblr; my very first fic so excuse its awfulness*</p><p>In which the boys are young and in love and still learning their voices' potential. Zayn gets knocked down, but his boys lift him back up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Light in Every Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me for the atrocious grammar and plot; this was the first fic I ever wrote. I'll prolly edit it in the near future, but for now, enjoy!! (even though itmakes me cringe)
> 
> Also, I never would've started writing if it weren't for my dear Ellie(bigsweaterandcuddleweather), love you:-)

"No, no, NO! Stop!" The frustrated man gripped his hair as he glared at the five boys in front of him, staring at one of them in particular.

"You’re completely off time! And your pitch isn’t right in the chorus!" The five boys stared down, red flooding up their necks. One boy didn’t, though. He did quite the opposite, actually.

"Look, asshole, I don’t know what your name is, and I highly doubt you know mine. But just because Savan is sick and your working in his place doesn’t mean you can criticize every fucking thing we do!" The feathery haired lad was breathing hard, fire blazing in his eyes as he gazed at the flustered man in front of him. The raven-haired boy next to him put a hand on his shoulder.

"S’alright Louis. Don’t let—" By this time, the man in front of them seemed to have found his stride, and he glared at the raven haired boy with an intensity that knocked the words right out of his mouth.

"I’ve figured it out. I’ve goddamn figured out what the problem is! Harry sings fine, Niall sings alright, Liam sing decent, and Louis sings okay." The red faced, pudgy man gave the last boy a pointed look before looking at the confused raven haired boy.

"The problem is YOU!" He shouted.

"What?" asked the boy timidly, taken aback and a bit frightened. This succeeded in angering the man further.

"Your the problem, Zayn." He spat out the name in disgust.

"You can’t sing. YOU CANNOT SING! Your voice sickens me, and I can only imagine what went through Simon’s head as he said yes to your pathetic audition. These four boys can mask the sound of your horrid voice, but at some point, it’s not enough. You’re obviously holding them back, Zayn. The sad thing is you fucking realize it! You know it, that you CAN’T SING! YOU’RE PATHETIC! You were born to disappoint, you fucking Muslim fag!"

It took a few moments for the disgusting, harsh words to wash over everyone, including their substitute vocal coach.

It took a few more moments for Louis to dive upon the idiot who dared to say one word against his boyfriend. Niall was close behind.

"You son of a bitch!"

"Louis, st—"

"How dare you even think about any—-"

"Lou—"

"You prick!"

"Niall, plea—"

"I can’t belie—"

"LOUIS!"

"NIALL!"

The last two shouts were chorused by Liam and Harry as they attempted to stop the whirling mass of fists and feet while glaring in the general direction of the vocal coach.

As Harry and Liam finally succeeded in pulling their angry, irate boyfriends, the man seemed to have finally realized the true implications of his actions. He had just insulted one member, provoked a fight with two members, and just plain pissed off the remaining two members of One Direction. Beads of sweat trickled down his bright red face as he spoke.

"Look lads, I—" The last person who anyone expected to lose his cool had just had enough.

"You what?!? Huh?! You can’t expect to get away with all this without fucking consequences, you prick!" Harry was heaving for breath, his face bright red as Liam held him back.

"You can kiss your job good-bye, you son of a bitch." Liam spoke with a voice colder than the Arctic and more confident then he felt. The man stuttered, before the the door slammed open and Simon himself stepped in. His steely gaze traveled around the room before his emotionless eyes stared at the vocal coach, drilling hole into his forehead.

"Boys, I’ll handle this from here," he declared, eyes never leaving the nervous man in front of him.

Satisfied, the lads of One Direction hovered over each other, making sure they were all okay. But they couldn’t shake this nagging feeling that they were forgetting something. Something important.

And then the horrible realization hit them like they had fallen in love. Slowly, and then all at once. And they were ashamed.

 

It took them ten minutes to realize that Zayn was missing.

 

 

"ZAYN!"

"ZAYNIE!"

"Sweetie, where are you?"

The boys called and shouted. All texts went unanswered, as did all calls.

"Zayn, where the hell are you?!" Louis screamed, pulling on his hair out of frustration. Liam put a calming hand on his shoulder, even though he was balancing precariously on the edge of flipping shit himself. They were pulled out of their thoughts by a humongous crash.

"Ow!" Harry’s voice rang out and his boyfriends raced through the labyrinth of corridors and hallways, shoes squeaking against the linoleum floor. Louis couldn’t help but grin at the sight in front of him, while Niall was already hiding giggles behind his hand. Liam shook his head.

"Oh Haz…" He smiled fondly. Harry had been walking too close to the wall, and his shoe had gotten caught in an almost inconspicuous door that hadn’t been shut properly. He had tripped and fallen, somehow pulling out all of the cleaning supplies that had been stored behind the door. Harry huffed indignantly, a cleaning rag stuck in his curly hair. His bum was caught in the janitor’s rubbish trolley.

"How on Earth did you even manage to do that?" Louis asked, giggling as Liam pulled their youngest lover up.

"I tripped!" He protested defensively, and Niall was doubled over in laughter.

"Guys, shut up for a second and look," Louis had wandered into the supposed closet, and he pointed to a stairway. The same thought struck them as they recalled that the door hadn’t been shut properly; Zayn.

There was a mad dash to get up the stairs. The members of One Direction tripped over each other as the scrambled up the old stairs.

Liam got to the top first, and he realized with relief that the door had already been propped open.

"Boys! I think he’s here." While his boyfriends trekked up the last few steps, Liam scanned the area, and was surprised when he realized they were on the roof of the building. A cool wind blew, and Daddy Direction pulled his coat tighter. He remembered with a sinking stomach that Zayn had left his in the practice room. The poor boy was probably freezing.

"Look around," Niall said once he reached the top. The boyfriends split up to scour the roof, and it was Harry who found Zayn. His breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of him.

The Pakistani boy was sitting at the very edge of the four story building, his legs carelessly dangling over the edge. His back was hunched over, and both his hands were clutching the edge of the building desperately, knuckles bright red. His body shivered from the biting wind that his thin, long sleeved shirt failed to protect him from. Harry couldn’t see his face, but he was pretty sure that, shockingly, Zayn wasn’t crying.

"Zayn?" He called hesitantly. He immediately cursed himself as the sound of his voice startled his lover, and he lost his grip on the building. The Muslim boy almost slipped off, but he pulled himself up. Zayn let out a shaky breath, but still didn’t turn to meet Harry’s concerned gaze.

Slowly, the younger lad made his way toward his boyfriend. Once he was almost next to him, and about a foot away from the edge, he bent down on his knees. Zayn stubbornly kept his head down, looking almost longingly at the paved street and the blaring cars below. A lone tear slid down his flushed cheeks as he shivered. Harry immediately pulled of his coat and put it over Zayn’s shoulders, but he shrugged it off.

"You need it more, Haz," he mumbled softly, eyes never leaving the busy streets.

"I have a sweater and a t-shirt on, Zee. I’ll be fine." Harry said gently as he pulled the coat back over his boyfriend shoulders. He didn’t move.

"Zaynie…" He trailed off. Zayn shuddered, and Harry pulled him into a tight hug, resting his chin upon the smaller boy’s soft hair. Just then, the other boys finally came running to them. Niall instantly went forward and joined the hug, with Liam and Louis close behind. Zayn was buried in the middle of their tight embrace, shaking as he tried to hold back tears.

"S’alright baby,"

"Let it out, Zee,"

"It’s okay to cry, boo."

Louis put to fingers under Zayn’s chin and forced him to look at him. The oldest was momentarily taken aback by the depth and sorrow those beautiful brown orbs held. He shook his head.

"Zayn Javadd Malik. You don’t listen to him, alright? Don’t you dare believe a single word that came out of that asshole’s mouth. You outshone us all, and you were gone for half the week, too. We all love you, and so do the fans. You’re brilliant, and you know it." Louis spoke gently, but firmly, and Zayn could almost believe him when his eyes were as fiery as they were.

Soon, they helped Zayn up, but Liam insisted on carrying him, shooting down all of Zayn’s feeble protests.

"Do you think you can do the show tonight, babe?" Liam asked softly, and the boy in his arms nodded shakily. Liam sighed and looked at his other boyfriends. They all made a silent agreement to watch over Zayn that night.

 

All to soon the lads on One Direction were receiving the five minute warning before they had the perform. Zayn had been quiet for the rest of the time, barely cracking a smile as Louis stole Rebecca’s mic and ran off with it.

"You ready, Zee?" Liam asked and the quiet boy mumbled a quick ‘yea’ before they were ushered to the stage. They heard their names announced, and Liam immediately started, and this time he wasn’t doing it for the band. He was doing it for Zayn. They all were.

 

"In my memory," he began, smiling as he heard the screams of the fans. Focus, he thought. For Zayn.

"All the small things

Like daggers in my mind

In my memory

While my head bleeds

The words I’ll never find

That I always meant to say to you I can’t.” He finished with a clean riff.

The boys flashed him approving smiles, even Zayn. He looked at the judges, and swore that Cheryl sniffled. Then Harry began, captivating the audience with his beautiful voice.

"Cause you turned your face," The cheers were even louder.

"And now I can’t feel you anymore

You turned your face, and now I can’t see you anymore.

Walk away

Until you’re not standing at my door

Turn your face

Walk away

And stay

Turn your face.”

The crowd was deafening, but it was nothing compared to what was coming next. Zayn stepped forward, and he sang. No one say it coming.

"In my memory,

I was hurtin’

Long before we met, oh.”

Silence. For the first time, the X factor was silent. The boys didn’t even check the judges faces. They were too busy staring at Zayn, captivated. Said boy seemed oblivious to it all, stuck in his own world.

"In my memory,

There’re still burnin’

Fingerprints you left

And I always meant to say to you I can’t,” It was still silent, but still, no of the boys checked the judges’ expressions. Zayn took a deep breath, and continued.

"So just turn your face

Until I can’t see you anymore

Turn your face

Until I can’t see you anymore

Walk away

Until you’re not standing at my door

Turn your face

Walk away

And stay

Turn your face.” His voice was smooth like honey, and his riffs were beyond amazing. But that was just in the beginning. Soon, it was strong, reaching notes both high and low that none of them had ever imagined to reach. Louis was so awed he nearly missed his cue. But he didn’t, which was a good thing.

"Each time I take you back

You bring one thousand cracks

And I accept them

Like a fool

Ooooohhh.”

Apparently, they were all on fire today. But none of them were as raw, strong, and pure as Zayn.

"So now what’s your excuse?" He wasn’t just singing now. No, he was almost shouting, with a musical ring to it. It was as if he was talking, no yelling, at someone. But obviously, he wasn’t done yet.

"What do we have to lose?

Since I’m already

Losing you.”

Niall was blatantly staring, and Harry nudged him so he wouldn’t miss his part.

"So hard to face

That I can’t feel you anymore

Hard to face

That I can’t see you anymore.” The audience was still silent, but the lads of One Direction swore they heard a few more sniffles, that sounded close. But it was all about to increase, because Zayn had been through so much shit this week. He hadn’t been okay since he got the call from his mother, saying I’m sorry jaanu, your grandfather passed away. They had been close. He found out just how cruel Twitter could be while he was all alone in Bradford. Then when he came back, he found out that Savan was sick, and some other guy was taking his place for the week. The guy had turned out to be a racist prick, and Zayn just couldn’t do it anymore. So he decided he would sing. He would sing not to please the judges, but to let them know what he’s been through.

"So walk away

Until your not standing at my door

Turn your face

Walk away

And stay,”

And suddenly Zayn’s done being strong and he knew that there were tears streaming down his face. But he’s just so damn tired of pretending and he’s holding back a sob. But then he realized, oh shit, he hasn’t finished the wretched song yet. He thanked his lucky stars that seemed to have disappeared this week that he hadn’t missed his part.

"Turn your face

Turn your face

And stay

Turn your face.”

Silence. A crushing silence followed the end of Zayn’s final heartfelt world. The tears streamed down his face as he choked on a sob. He felt four pairs of warms arms around him, and he gladly melted into their comforting embrace. The distraught boy let the tears fall freely as they hugged, and they slowed just a bit as Louis pressed a chaste kiss to his tanned forehead.

Then came the crushed applause. The thunderous clapping rang through everyone’s fragile ears, as did the screams, whistles, and shouts of admiration. It was louder than anyone had ever heard, and it seemed that no one would be letting up anytime soon.

As they broke apart, the boys made sure to keep Zayn the middle as they awaited the judge’s verdict.

As it turned out, the boys had forgotten all about the judges during their stunning performance, and they were rather shocked to see their expressions. Both Cheryl and Danii were in tears; the boys could literally see the wet droplets trail down their puffy red eyes. But they were both standing, smiling despite their tears and clapping. Louis was holding himself back from standing, but he was cheering just as loud. A few traitorous tear tracks were visible on his face. And perhaps the most stunning reaction, was Simon. He stood supportively, which wasn’t really that unusual. Until you noticed his red eyes, and the slight wetness surrounding his eyes. Simon, cold and emotionless Uncle Simon, had teared up through the performance.

The judges showered them with heartfelt, teary compliments, but honestly, that passed by in a blur. The lads were too captivated by the audience, chanting their names, screaming, cheering, for them.

The mere prospect of being on an actual stage had seemed so foreign and impossible, but now it was real.

"…and Zayn," Simon’s gruff voice interrupted their trance.

"Tonight, you sung with such emotion that makes us all genuinely believe that you lot have a large chance of winning this competition. All our condolences to you and your family for the loss you suffered. But I’ve had the pleasure of watching you transform from the shy little boy who was afraid to dance, into a shy young man who can truly sing." Zayn blushed scarlet, and mumbled ‘thank you.’ The other boys grinned at him, and the second they were off the stage, he was pulled off the ground into Liam’s arms.

"You blew us all away, babe." Harry said, smiling.

 

And for the first time that week, Zayn smiled back


End file.
